PIVOT, THEY REALIZED THERE WAS A
BIGGER PURPOSE.
>> Reporter: ITS AN UNSPOKEN
SISTER HOOD OF STRENGTH AND
SURVIVAL.
>> WE KICKED INTO GOREEAR AND KE
GOING.
>> Reporter: SEATTLE CHEFS AND
RESTAURANTEURS FOLLOWED THEIR
DREAMS AND OPENED THEIR OWN
PLACES LAST YEAR AT THE MOST
UNLIKELY TIME.
>> I STARTED MY RESTAURANT IN
BEE CAN HILL AS A POP-UP.
>> FOCUSED ON EDUCATION OF OUR
CUISINE
CUISINE, OUR CULTURE.
>> THE NAME OF OUR RESTAURANT IS
COMMUNION RESTAURANT AND BAR.
WE SERVE WHAT WE CALL SEATTLE
SOUL.
>> THE RESTAURANT NAME IS MISHA.
I WANTED TO CHANGE HOW PEOPLE
THINK ABOUT IT.
>> Reporter: AS MANY RESTAURANTS
IN SEATTLE CLOSED DOORS, THESE
WOMEN FOUND A WAY TO KEEP THEIRS
OPEN.
>> WE OPENED IN JANUARY OF 2020.
THE FIRST THREE MONTHS, WE WERE
AT A THREE-HOUR WAIT, FULL
CAPACITY EVERY NIGHT.
>> WE WERE SUPPOSED TO OPEN IN
JULY.
WE DIDNT OPEN UNTIL DECEMBER.
YOU KNOW, WE HAD A GREAT
RECEPTION.
WE HAD LINES.
WHICH IS SOMEWHAT SCARYEYSCARY.
>> WHEN I STARTED IN JUNE, IT
WAS ONLY TAKEOUT.
THEN WE SHUT DOWN, YOU KNOW,
BECAUSE WE WERE GOING BACK AND
FORTH WITH THE LOCKDOWN.
>> Reporter: IT WASNT EASY,
JUGGLING THE UNCERTAINTY OF
LOCKDOWNS AND THE CONSTANT
THREAT OF A COVID OUTBREAK.
RESILIENCE GOT THEM THROUGH, AND
THE FOOD BECAME THE CONDUIT FOR
SERVING THEIR COMMUNITY.
MELISSA KNEW SHE HAD TO PIVOT
EARLY ON, AS SEATTLE WAS ONE OF
THE FIRST STATES HIT HARD BY THE
VIRUS.
>> BECAUSE THE COMMUNITY FOR US
HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE MOST
IMPORTANT ASPECT TO HOW WE
OPERATE THE SPACE, WE CONVERTED
INTO A COMMUNITY KITCHEN.
>> Reporter: CHRISTY JOINED IN,
TOO, REALIZING THERE WAS A
BIGGER PURPOSE TO SERVING THE
COMMUNITY.
>> MELISSA CALLED A MEETING
WHERE WE GOT TOGETHER AND TALKED
ABOUT THE EFFECTS OF THIS AND
WHAT WE WERE GOING TO DO.
ONE OF THE THINGS ABOUT FOOD
PEOPLE IS, WE LOVE WHAT WE DO.
WE DONT DO IT FOR THE PAY.
IT WAS LIKE, OKAY, WE GOT THIS
FOOD.
PEOPLE ARE HUNGRY.
WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO?
SO WE GOT TOGETHER AND STARTED
THE COMMUNITY KITCHEN
COLLECTIVE, WHERE WE HAD BEEN
FEEDING PEOPLE OUT OF OUR
BUSINESSES FOR FREE.
>> Reporter: TAKEOUT BECAME A
WAY OF SURVIVAL.
>> WE WERE COOKING FOR EIGHT,
TEN HOURS.
WE STARTED GETTING THE ORDERS,
AND IT WAS OVERWHELMING.
WE WERE NOT EVEN PREPARED, SO WE
WERE GETTING FILLED UP EVERY
DAY.
>> Reporter: THROUGH IT ALL,
WOMEN WERE THE BACKBONE TO THE
DAILY GRIND.
HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE FEMALES
WORKING IN YOUR BACK KITCHEN,
BEHIND THE SCENES?
ALL TLOOFHREE OF YOU.
HOW AND WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT?
>> GIVING WOMEN OPPORTUNITIES IN
KITCHENS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.
IN AN INDUSTRY THATS SO MALE
DRIVEN, BEING ABLE TO HAVE OTHER
SISTER CHEFS DOING THE SAME
THING, THAT IS ALSO, LIKE, SO
EMPOWERING.
>> Reporter: A SILVER LINING
FROM THE HARDSHIPS OF OWNING A
RESTAURANT LAST YEAR, COMMUNITY
KEPT THEM GOING.
THEY LOOKED FORWARD TO SERVING
AT FULL CAPACITY WITH
PRECAUTIONS IN PLACE.
>> I WANT IT, BUT WE WANT TO BE
SAFE WHILE DOING IT.
>> YES, WE WANT TO GET TO 100%
FOR OUR BUSINESSES, AND I THINK
I CAN SPEAK TO ALL THREE OF US,
THERE IS STILL SO MUCH WORK TO
DO.
LIKE, IM HERE FOR IT.
I KNOW WERE HERE FOR IT.
WELL GET THERE.
>> COVID HAS TAUGHT US HOW TO
KEEP GOING DURING THIS TIME.
COVID MADE US MUCH MORE
STRONGER, AND I THINK WE CAN DO
THIS.
WERE NOT GOING ANYWHERE.
WELL BE HERE.
>> TALK ABOUT SISTER HOOD.
SEATTLE IS STILL UNDER A MASK
MANDATE WITH RESTAURANTS
OPERATING AT 50% CAPACITY
INDOORS.
HOWEVER, ALL THREE WOMEN SAY
BUSINESS HAS BEEN AMAZING.
THE COMMUNITY, THEYRE REALLY
COMING OUT TO SUPPORT THEM.
IN FACT, THEYRE BOOKED UNTIL
JUNE AND HAVE ALL HAD TO HIRE
MORE EMPLOYEES.
PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY WERE SO
THANKFUL FOR WHAT THEY DID ON
THE FRONT END, NOW THEYRE
SUPPORTING THEM ON THIS BACK
END.